Schultz W, Dickinson A
Institute of Physiology, University of Fribourg, Switzerland.
Annu Rev Neurosci. 2000;23:473-500. doi: 10.1146/annurev.neuro.23.1.473.
Associative learning enables animals to anticipate the occurrence of important outcomes. Learning occurs when the actual outcome differs from the predicted outcome, resulting in a prediction error. Neurons in several brain structures appear to code prediction errors in relation to rewards, punishments, external stimuli, and behavioral reactions. In one form, dopamine neurons, norepinephrine neurons, and nucleus basalis neurons broadcast prediction errors as global reinforcement or teaching signals to large postsynaptic structures. In other cases, error signals are coded by selected neurons in the cerebellum, superior colliculus, frontal eye fields, parietal cortex, striatum, and visual system, where they influence specific subgroups of neurons. Prediction errors can be used in postsynaptic structures for the immediate selection of behavior or for synaptic changes underlying behavioral learning. The coding of prediction errors may represent a basic mode of brain function that may also contribute to the processing of sensory information and the short-term control of behavior.
联想学习使动物能够预测重要结果的发生。当实际结果与预测结果不同时，就会产生预测误差，学习便由此发生。几个脑结构中的神经元似乎会根据奖励、惩罚、外部刺激和行为反应来编码预测误差。一种形式是，多巴胺能神经元、去甲肾上腺素能神经元和基底核神经元将预测误差作为全局强化或教学信号传递给大的突触后结构。在其他情况下，误差信号由小脑、上丘、额叶眼区、顶叶皮质、纹状体和视觉系统中的特定神经元编码，在这些地方它们会影响特定的神经元亚群。预测误差可用于突触后结构中行为的即时选择或行为学习背后的突触变化。预测误差的编码可能代表了一种基本的脑功能模式，这也可能有助于感觉信息的处理和行为的短期控制。
